Osteospermum plant named ‘Akvarza’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Akvarza’, characterized by its uniformly mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; full and dense plants; freely flowering habit; green and pale yellow variegated foliage; and white-colored ray florets and light gray-colored disc florets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofOsteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Akvarza’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Aabyhøj, Denmark. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new Osteospermum cultivars with uniformplant habit and interesting leaf and floret colors.

The new Osteospermum is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of theOsteospermum ecklonis cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 10,337. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of thecultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka during the winter of 1998 in a controlledenvironment in Aabyhøj, Denmark. The selection of this plant was basedon its unique variegated foliage.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Aabyhøj, Denmark during the spring of 1998.Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features ofthis new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Akvarza has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Akvarza’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Akvarza’ as a new and distinct Osteospermum:

1. Uniformly mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit; full and dense plants.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Green and pale yellow variegated foliage.

5. White-colored ray florets and light gray-colored disc florets.

The new Osteospermum are most similar to plants of the parent, thecultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inEncinitas, Calif., plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plantsof the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more compact than plants of thecultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Osteospermum were green and pale yellowvariegated whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Lusakawere solid green in color.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of thecultivar Akvarlu, U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently withthis application, in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Osteospermum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newOsteospermum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof three typical flowering plants of ‘Akvarza’ grown in a 22-cmcontainer.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalleaves, inflorescences and inflorescence buds of ‘Akvarza’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs, following observations and averaged measurements describeplants grown during the late winter and early spring in Encinitas,Calif., in polyethylene-covered greenhouses and under conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production.Three rooted cuttings were planted in 22-cm containers and pinched once.During the production of the plants, day temperatures were about 24° C.,night temperatures were about 19° C., and light levels were about 4,000foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages oftypical flowering plants about 18 weeks after planting.

Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Akvarza.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Osteospermumecklonis cultivar Cape Daisy Lusaka, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,337.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate rooting.—About 10 days at 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 24 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Uniformlymounded plant habit; upright to outwardly spreading. Freely branching,about 10 to 11 lateral branches develop after pinching; dense and fullplants. Moderately vigorous growth habit.

Plant height.—About 42 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—All three plants, about 65 cm; individualplants, about 29 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 37 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Internodelength: About 1.5 cm. Aspect: Upright to outward. Strength: Strong, buttallest lateral branches may tend to bend with the weight of theinflorescences. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Number of leavesper lateral branch: About 18. Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm.Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Nearlyentire with occasional tiny serrations. Venation pattern: Pinnate.Texture: Coarse, leathery, glandular and glabrous. Color: Young foliage,upper and lower surfaces: Center, 147B, surrounded by 10D to themargins. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Center, 147A to 147B,surrounded by 10D to the margin. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:Center, 147B to 147C, surrounded by 10D to the margin. Venation, upperand lower surfaces: 147C. Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous.

Color, upper and lower surfaces: 147C.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences held above and beyondthe foliage on moderately strong peduncles. Composite inflorescenceform, radially symmetrical, with ligulate-shaped ray florets and discflorets massed at the center; ray and disc florets arranged acropetallyon a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences face uprightor outward.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from the springthrough the fall.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for about one week on the plant when grown in an outdoorenvironment.

Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering; at one time, about 100open inflorescences and buds per plant.

Fragrance.—Not detected.

Inflorescence bud (at stage of showing color).—Length: About 2 cm.Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, ray florets, lower or outersurface: 150B.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.5 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.8 cm. Receptacleheight: About 1.1 cm.

Ray florets.—Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Ligulate.Apex: Rounded to slightly emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire.Texture: Satiny. Orientation: Initially upright to about 65° fromvertical. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 21 in a singlewhorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: 155A. When opening, lowersurface: 150C. Fully opened, upper surface: 155D. Fully opened, lowersurface: Ground color, 155A, with longitudinal stripe, 4C, that broadenstowards the apex.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length:About 9 mm. Width: At apex: About 2 mm. At base: About 1 mm. Number ofdisc florets per inflorescence: About 70. Color: Immature: 156A. Mature:Apex: 156A to 155B. Mid-section and base: 155B.

Phyllaries.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear.Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture: Slightly coarse withtiny hairs. Number per inflorescence: About 21 in a single whorl. Color,upper and lower surfaces: Center, 147B, surrounded by 4C to the margin.

Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 8 cm. Length, secondpeduncle: About 11 cm. Length, third peduncle: About 10.5 cm. Diameter:About 1.5 mm. Angle: Terminal peduncles, erect; secondary and tertiarypeduncles, about 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderate, tend to bendwith weight of inflorescences. Texture: Coarse with tiny scattered shorthairs. Color: 144D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamennumber: Five per floret; fused around style. Anther shape: Oblong.Anther size: About 2 mm by 1 mm. Anther color: 14A. Pollen amount:Scarce. Pollen color: 14A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and discflorets. Pistil number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 8 mm.Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 155A. Style length: About 5 mm.Style color: 155A. Ovary color: 144D.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toOsteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercialgreenhouse or outdoor conditions.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been observedto tolerate temperatures from 4° to 32° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plantnamed ‘Akvarza’, as illustrated and described.